The 2018 Toyota Camry might be proof most people don’t care about cars

The nation’s bestselling car is now in its eighth generation.

Toyota obviously used a better photographer than me for its stock images, but I also think it's a much more challenging-looking car in silver than white.

Jonathan Gitlin

There's a lot going on down the sides, from that diagonal strake to the fake vents at the rear.

Jonathan Gitlin

The front bumper of the XSE model is more aggressive than lesser Camrys.

Jonathan Gitlin

Four exhaust pipes and a diffuser say SPORTY! Unfortunately, the driving does not deliver.

Jonathan Gitlin

My, that is a lot of red leather.

Jonathan Gitlin

Acres of room in the back.

Toyota

Spoiler alert!

Toyota

It doesn't use exotic, lightweight materials. It doesn't have a clever electric powertrain. But the Toyota Camry is undoubtedly one of the most important cars we'll ever review, if only because Toyota sells so damn many of them.

The Camry is now in its eighth generation, and Toyota says this one is sportier and more upscale than Camrys of old. However, after a week with one—the $32,250 V6 XSE—I'm left with one conclusion: there are evidently an awful lot of car buyers out there who just don't care much about their cars.

These days, platforms are out, and architectures—which are more adaptable and less prescriptive—are the hotness. The Kentucky-built Camry is no exception, using Toyota's New Global Architecture, which also makes up the bones of the most recent Prius. The system specifies how different components are positioned; a specific height seat dictates where the steering wheel and pedals and shifter all go. But it also makes for a lighter and stiffer Camry than before, one with a lower center of gravity that ought to be more enjoyable to drive.

As mentioned, our test Camry was a top-of-the-line model. It's one of the cars under consideration for World Car of the Year (for which I am now a juror), and Toyota evidently felt that the top-spec car would make the best impression. The engine is a new 3.5L naturally aspirated V6, with variable valve timing and direct injection, and it has the ability to run under the Atkinson cycle for better efficiency. It packs a decent punch—301hp (224kW) and 267ft-lbs (362Nm) and is more efficient than the previous V6 Camry, with an EPA rating of 26mpg combined (22mpg city, 33mpg highway). However, both the 2.5L inline four-cylinder (which starts at $23,495) and the hybrid (from $27,800) are both considerably more economical to run in that regard. All Camrys send their power to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox designed in-house by Toyota.

We've established in plenty of previous car reviews that my driving style in town is not conducive to good fuel economy, and in this case, the car didn't want to give me an easy-to-read mpg figure. Suffice it to say that I doubt I managed to match the EPA's 22mpg driving in town.

Not everyone will love the way it looks

We first saw the new Camry just over a year ago in Detroit, at which time I wrote that it "does look sportier and more exciting than what may well have been the last taxi you rode in." While I still stand by that statement, I can't say I'm a big fan of the styling—particularly the XSE version, which gets an aggressive front bumper and a rear with a (fake) diffuser, plus rocker panel extensions and a rear spoiler on the trunk lid. Perhaps it's a color-sensitive thing? The white car in Toyota's images looks much less objectionable to me than the silver car I spent my week with.

There's something about the Camry's styling that calls to mind the cars of the early jet age, cars from the late 1950s with wings and vents on them. Then again, the Camry's deadliest rival right now is the new Honda Accord, and that car looks like it left the factory with a huge piece missing from the front bumper, so one's mileage may vary.

On the inside, things probably weren't helped by the Camry's bright red leather interior. It looks like the office of what Terry Pratchett memorably called a lady of negotiable affection. Again, my opinion here is a factor of the press car because things look a lot less objectionable when a more restrained palette is employed. Ignoring the scarlet hide, everything else is quite good. The ergonomics are sound, with the most widely used controls close at hand, and there's plenty of storage space in the doors and various other cubbies in the center console. The cabin is bright and airy, particularly thanks to our test car's twin sunroofs.

The inside is also very roomy, both in the front and back (although the driver's seat is rather hard and doesn't offer much in the way of lateral support). And the trunk is voluminous, at 15.1 cubic feet (427.5L).

It’s a MY2018 car, so it has plenty of technology

Toyota has packed plenty of advanced driver assists and safety systems into the new Camry, and I'm happy to report that most of the features are included as standard equipment rather than being locked up in thousand-dollar option packages. Toyota's system—called "Safety Sense"—comprises forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic high-beam headlights, adaptive cruise control, and lane-departure alert with steering assist.

Most of these work well, with the exception of the "steering assist" part of the lane departure system. Although it would warn me if I drifted out of my lane, I never felt any steering assist helping me out. After the third or fourth attempt at letting the Camry try to steer itself for a couple of seconds ended with me intervening, I gave up trying to test the system or figure out if it used the industry-standard interval of 15 seconds before nagging you.

The infotainment system, called Entune 3.0, is Toyota's latest. It's built on Automotive Grade Linux; Toyota is a big (and long-time) fan of open source software. In V6 models, you also get some added features like Siri and Google voice controls (but no Android Auto or CarPlay), dynamic navigation (which updates the map regularly over the air with POIs and recently added roads), HD and Sirius XM radio, and 4G LTE with Wi-Fi. Everything is controlled from an eight-inch touchscreen (seven inches for lower-spec cars). You also get Qi wireless charging in the V6 as standard.

While I'm sure the underlying code in Entune 3.0 is fine, the UI can be confusing at times (even after a week, I had no idea how to cancel a navigation route), and the way it renders the map on the infotainment screen can be a little hard to read at times. There's also a remote connect function for checking your car's status, guest driver monitoring, and even remote starting, the thought of which I am sure is setting some readers' hair alight.

The UI of the 4.2-inch display on the main instrument cluster is also less than ideal, with some confusing layouts that (for instance) make it very difficult to tell how much fuel you're actually using. Instead of a constantly moving bar graph, how about just giving me a numerical value?

Sorry, still a bit boring to drive

Despite Toyota's press materials claiming this is the sportiest and best-driving Camry to date, and despite the wide stance, aggressive bumpers, and that diffuser at the rear, there's no getting away from the fact that it's still a Camry. That means it has been designed to be as appealing as possible to the largest number of people; the result is a safe-if-unexciting time behind the wheel. The ride is good and isolates you from poor road surfaces, but it's not a car that encourages you to grab it by the scruff of the neck or demands to be taken out for an early morning drive on a twisty road.

Then again, if excitement is what you're looking for, you're not going to shop for a Camry. But the sales numbers don't lie. Last year, more than 387,000 Americans bought a new Camry, and there's every reason to believe that in 2018 it's going to be the bestselling car (as opposed to truck) yet again.

It is a family car, I mean it wasn't really meant for driving fun, its a poser with a sporty outfit. I'd agree that most people don't care about what makes a good car good. Most people seem to care more that they can drive around a nice living room.

I'd say that the Camry is one symptom of people not particularly caring about how their vehicles drive, but the biggest indictment is the explosion in popularity of crossovers like the RAV-4 and CRV. Here in Winnipeg the small/medium crossover is the Official Car of "Oh, I didn't see the other car coming," "I missed my turn so I'm going to cut across three lanes slowly without looking," and "I don't know the speed limit here so I'm going to just drive slowly."

evidently there are an awful lot of car buyers out there who just don't care much about their cars.

You hadn't noticed that just sharing the road with Toyota owners? It's like the official car of slow drivers. I actually get through stop lights faster when I pick the lane with the fewest Toyotas in it.

What I hate about it is the poser "sportiness." It's a Camry. It's boring. And that's perfectly fine since there's a big market for people who want sensible bland cars that will last a million trouble-free miles. Who do they think they're fooling with these aggressive looks? Are they trying to lure teenagers into their core market? I'm seriously confused here.

Most people don't care how it looks, or care if you care how it looks. They want a dependable car that is cheap to repair if things go wrong and is economical to drive and has high safety standards. I'm not sure how supposedly intelligent people still don't get this basic concept.

"evidently there are an awful lot of car buyers out there who just don't care much about their cars"

Average car ownership is 7 years. So yeah, most people don't give a crap about what new cars are out this year or what the new features are. Most people do care about longevity the trustworthiness of the brand. Me personally, whenever I replace my Camry, it will probably be another used model.

I'd be fine with the Camry if they could just admit that it is what it is; basic transportation that people buy because that's all they want. It's fantastic at being that. Just be that. Chill with the styling and the vroomy ads - you're not fooling anybody, it's OK to be boring sometimes.

Fundamentally there's a mismatch between consumer vs. most automobile enthusiasts who become reviewers.

The former is the market automobile manufacturers spend time to study and satisfy. The latter are the folks who can make or break your brand reputation, but most of the time don't understand the market.

For example?

For the past 10+ years we've seen basically every reviewer go around a new car touching every interior saying oooo soft touch, I need my soft touch. Most consumers? Don't care as long as the contact points are padded. Reliability, affordability & looks don't embarrass you ends up being higher on the list than perceived quality or speed around the Nurburgring.

There's a reason why the F-150 and Camry have been selling so well for so long. And it is obviously not listening to automobile critics.

Car reviewers love how VW Golf's handle. Owners love how it drives until there's a breakdown - or if they have kids, how awful it is to install a childseat. Meanwhile Betsey the mom who actually has the $ to buy a new car goes car shopping with her oversized childseats - whoops not getting the sale VW.

Styling from the past 5 years has largely gone down hill in my opinion, and made many cars look distinctly similar. This looks like similar to the Lexus LS, which I actually love, but this execution is kind of ugly. Combine that with a lack of CarPlay or Android Auto and I won't give it a second look. Having an infotainment system that gets software updates for the lifespan of the car is a huge deal, and at least there is a possibility of that happening when it's really your smartphone behind the scenes.

Crap radio system, boring driving dynamics, but a reputation for stellar reliability. When my Mazda lease is up in July, I hope to have a lot of homework done on what my next car may be if I don't stick with my current 2016 Mazda6. This will not be it.

I'd be fine with the Camry if they could just admit that it is what it is; basic transportation that people buy because that's all they want. It's fantastic at being that. Just be that. Chill with the styling and the vroomy ads - you're not fooling anybody, it's OK to be boring sometimes.

I still remember those Toyota commercials that were like less-cringey versions of the Chevy "real people" schlock of recent years where the only thing any of those owners gave a fuck about was not having to give a fuck about their car. It's the only honest advertising I've ever seen for the Camry.

Why do car reviews read a lot like Android phone reviews. "This product is X because its processor is Y. End of review." What about looking past raw performance and discussing, eg, the quality of the materials used in the interior?

Most people don't care how it looks, or care if you care how it looks. They want a dependable car that is cheap to repair if things go wrong and is economical to drive and has high safety standards. I'm not sure how supposedly intelligent people still don't get this basic concept.

Because people who actually write and read car reviews aren't the kind of people who understand how anyone can spend so much of their lives driving something so godawful boring and mediocre.

I had a Camry [2011ish?] for awhile. If I could get a Camry with HP and decent suspension, I'd still be driving a Camry. I absolutely loved the acres of legroom both front and back, and the massive trunk space, plus the drivers seat was perfect for me and my bad back. I just didn't love that it was a gutless wonder getting onto the highway.

I'm currently in a 2011 G37x sedan. I love the HP and driving feel. The driving seat isn't quite as good for me and my back as the Camry, but it's decent. However, I don't love the complete lack of legroom in the back seat.

So... first one to make a car with the room [and driver's seat] of the Camry with the performance of the G37x wins.

I have a 2014 Camry SE. I bought it because it is a practical family car. It was the only one in its class with an acceptable back seat. Good legroom, good headroom, and wide enough for three growing kids. It was also one of the cheapest in its class. It is also good on gas and incredibly reliable. After nearly 4 years and 157, 000 km, I've only had to do regular maintenance (oil, tires, etc)

The only thing I don't like is the turning radius. It is annoying to park, especially in tight parking garages.

I care a lot about my car, but not in the way that you mean.

My priorities are:

(1) Fits my family and luggage for a long trip.

(2) Not too expensive to buy or run for 7-12 years

(3) Has enough power to accelerate going up a steep hill on the highway.

My Camry has all of those things nailed. When this one dies, I would buy another, except I hope to be rid of a kid or two, so I'll hopefully go for something smaller.

Honestly one of the ugliest cars on the road. Toyota and Honda both need to take a page out of Mazda's design playbook. They've been killing it in the looks department.

I really want to bring up the Aztek, or the new electric version of the Aztek known as the "Model X" (before the Elon Horde descend upon me for that, I'll note I'm a Tesla driver and loyalist, but the Model X is not pretty IMO), but honestly there's so much out there that is uglier, like you mentioned. Lexus with their new brand grill is just… wow?

Speaking of the Honda Accord, are you going to be reviewing that as well, Jonathan?

I've always had a soft spot for the Accord and the new Civic-lite engine has piqued my interest.

I'm not Mr. Gitlin, but I'd say the Accord this cycle is fundamentally a better car for the Camry. I think Toyota is trying to tweak the last bit of life out of the current Camry platform before it makes a big transition, and it is suffering a bit.

What I hate about it is the poser "sportiness." It's a Camry. It's boring. And that's perfectly fine since there's a big market for people who want sensible bland cars that will last a million trouble-free miles. Who do they think they're fooling with these aggressive looks? Are they trying to lure teenagers into their core market? I'm seriously confused here.

It's the V6 model with over 300HP. This is NOT the car that 95% of Camry buyers choose. If you're paying a significant premium for a less efficient but more powerful V6 then you probably also want some sporty styling.